The Toll Gate Grammar School student body kicked-off the school’s annual preparation of nearly 700 complete Thanksgiving dinners for Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) with the help of Jaime Parker, manager of programs at TASK, the TASK poets and members of the Trenton Circus Squad.
For more than 30 years, the Toll Gate community has baked pies, donated canned and boxed goods, carved turkeys, packed delivery trucks, decorated the dining hall at TASK and delivered all the complete Thanksgiving meals.
“On behalf of the staff and students at Toll Gate Grammar School, we are pleased to be part of the effort to provide Thanksgiving dinners for our friends at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen,” said Toll Gate Principal Jane-Ellen Lennon. “This is a tradition that has been a part of the Toll Gate community for over 30 years and we are grateful for all who contribute to this community effort.”
Parker spoke to Toll Gate students about outreach programs TASK has with the community, in particular, Tom von Oehsen’s Trenton Circus Squad. Parker explained how TASK provides dinner for the students in need at the squad, sustaining their training and making their success a reality. Three of those students, now junior counsellors and paid performers, entertained Toll Gator students with an assortment of exciting circus tricks. From juggling, to tight wire, to one young man balancing a large ladder on his chin, the entertaining show captivated the students.
“This project we refer to as TASK gives us an opportunity to come together as a community and provide nourishment and care where it is needed,” said Toll Gate parent Dawn Berman. “Your assistance is a gesture of hope. Our hope is that in the practice of this annual project, you come to understand the impact that community service can have on other people’s lives. Offering your time, knowledge and skills can transform another person’s life.”
Starting Nov. 6, Toll Gators began the task of collecting items for their targeted food drive. Each grade was assigned a specific food item to create a complete Thanksgiving meal, from stuffing to sweet potatoes.
On Nov. 22, fifth grade students loaded a truck with non-perishables for delivery to TASK and assembled 275 pie boxes. On November 25 and 26, students and helpers from throughout the school worked together to bake pies.
On the evening of Nov. 26, Toll Gate parents and helpers would don aprons and wield knives for the annual carve-a-thon in the school’s cafeteria. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, third grade students would personally travel to TASK to decorate for the holiday celebration, and help with the delivery of turkeys and pies.
The task of preparing more than 700 Thanksgiving dinners has been a joint effort between Toll Gate Grammar and the greater community for the past 30 years. Toll Gate students collect canned and boxed food, make 250 of their signature sweet potato pies, while turkeys are donated by local businesses and families, roasted and carved by volunteers.
Local nursery schools make cranberry relish, Cub Scouts decorate lunch bags, Girls Scouts make cornbread, Timberlane Middle School packs lunches and the community at-large generously donates time and money to a task that resonates with what this time of year is all about – “Giving, Caring, Sharing.” By participating in this project, the children learn that there is always an opportunity to share and lend a helping hand.
If you would like to find out how you can help, please contact Missy Cappucci at [email protected] or Dawn Berman at [email protected]. In the past, local real estate firms have donated nearly half of the turkeys used for this project. The TASK team at Toll Gate is grateful for the generosity of the local community in making this event a success year after year. The school is still seeking donations of turkeys and other food items from friends in the community.